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New chief of International Trade Centre appointed

16 August 2013

Arancha González of Spain has been appointed Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC).​ The appointment was announced Thursday by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The ITC, which has its headquarters in Geneva, is a joint agency of UNCTAD and the World Trade Organization (WTO) that strives to help small- and mid-sized firms in developing and transition countries compete and trade effectively in global markets.

Ms. González, who will take office on 1 September, has served as WTO Chief of Staff for the past eight years, and was the WTO Director-General's representative to the G-20. She earlier held a series of posts with the European Commission, focusing on international trade, the negotiation of trade agreements, and efforts to help developing countries benefit from trading opportunities. She also was European Commission Spokeswoman for Trade.

Ms. González holds a law degree from the University of Navarra and a post-graduate degree in European law from the University of Carlos III, Madrid.

She replaces outgoing ITC Executive Director Patricia Francis of Jamaica.